Collapsible sawhorse

ABSTRACT

A COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSE SUPPORTED BY LEG ASSEMBLIES AT EACH OF ITS ENDS. HINGE MEANS, CARRIED BY THE SAWHORSE MAIN MEMBER, ATTACHES THE LEGS OF EACH LEG ASSEMBLY AND PERMITS INWARD CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE LEGS TO A POSITION PERPENDICULAR TO AND OFFSET FROM THE MAIN MEMBER. ADDITIONAL HINGE STRUCTURE PERMITS SIMULTANEOUS UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LEGS OF EACH LEG ASSEMBLY INTO A POSITION ALONGSIDE SAID MAIN MEMBER. HINGED LEG MOVEMENT OCCURS ABOUT TWO SEPARATE AXES. LIMIT STOP MEANS RETAIN THE LEGS IN PLACE IN A COLLAPSED CONFIGURATION. D R A W I N G

Feb. 13, 1973 c. R. LAKE 3,715,112

COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSE Filed May 19, 1971 3,716,112 COLLAPSHBLE SAWIIORSE Clarence R. Lake, 22785 SW. Lois Sh, Beaverton, Greg. 97%5 Filed May 19, 1971, Ser. No. 94,771 Int. Cl. Flam 11/00; EMg 1/32 U5. Cl. 182-155 1 Claim AlEEiTRAQT OF THE DHSIILOSURE BACKGROUND OF .IE INVENTION The present invention relates to sawhorse construction and more particularly to a sawhorse of integral construction without detachable components.

Sawhorses, referred to as trestles in the earily prior art, are by nature unwieldy structure with both storage and transport of some requiring considerable space. I he problem is more acute when a number of sawhorses are to be stored or transported as is often necessary by those persons in the building trades, carpenters, wall finishers, etc.

Eiforts have been made in the past to provide sawhorse construction which permits same to be reduced in size for the above purposes. While this has been achieved to some extent other disadvantages reside in their complexity contributing to high production costs and secondly, components or fittings requiring detachment. Any separatble parts are, of course, very susceptible to loss during storage or transport. Further, several detachable or adjustable components are undesirable from the standpoint of set-up time.

The prior art discloses various attempts at providing sawhorse construction lending itself to collapsible or knockdown (disassembled) construction. The former is disclosed in US. patents: 1,298,867 to F. Beland and 1,816,198 to C. J. Sample; and the latter type shown in a US. Pat. 2,829,927 to C. R. Sword.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention pertains to a sawhorse structure wherein the horizontal main crossmember is supported adjacent each of its ends by a pair of collapsible leg assemblies.

Each pair of legs of each assembly is collapsible alongside the sawhorse main member with subsequent inversion of the main member causing the leg assemblies to be in resting contact with one another during storage or transport. A unique hinge component permits the legs of each pair to be swung inwardly about a first axis into a closed, parallel relationship for subsequent upward positioning to the collapsed configuration about a second axis. Additionally, limit stop means is provided for retention of the collapsed pairs of legs in juxtaposed relationship to the sawhorse crossmernber. The foregoing positioning of the pairs of legs, as well as their operative upright disposition requires no loosening or detachment of component parts.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a sawhorse which may be both conveniently 3,?l$,ll2 Patented Feb. 13,, 1913 stored or transported from work site to work site within a minimum space requirement. The sawhorse is particularly attractive to homeowners where storage space is usually limited and to those in the construction trades where several sawhorses must be transported from time to time to new work sites.

'In the latter case the use of knock-down type sawhorses is undesirable in that the separable parts are readily lost during travel. Further, where several sawhorses are used by a commercial tradesman their lengthy set-up time becomes significant.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of a sawhorse structure embodying a novel hinge which permits leg movement about plural axes during leg collapsing all being without the loosening or adjustment of components as is necessary in the prior art. Accordingly, the user of the sawhorse need not carry accessory tools.

A further object resides in the simplified structure of the'sawhorse wherein both the wood and metal components lend themselves to volume production methods wherein fabrication and assembly costs may be very low while yet providing an attractive and very sturdy saw horse structure.

An additional feature of the present sawhorse is its high degree of portability wherein a user may carry the sawhorse with one hand with the sawhorse collapsed within a small area. With the sawhorse collapsed and inverted, a handle is exposed for grasping by the user. In one embodiment the sawhorse collapsed has exterior dimensions of 4 /2 by 3 /2 by 38 inches with no attachments being required to hold same in its folded condition. Without such appurtenances several folded or collapsed sawhorses may be stacked in a surface to surface manner for conservation of space. Again, this is of significant importance to those commercially using sawhorses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the present collapsible sawhorse,

FIG. 1A is an enlarged detail view of that sawhorse structure encircled at 1A in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 with the legs shown in fragmentary form for convenience of illustration,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a collapsed sawhorse inverted for carrying by hand,

FIG. 3A is a detailed view of that structure encircled at 3A in FIG. 3,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the collapsed sawhorse of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view of a sawhorse taken along line SS of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the leg members swung to a closed position preparatory to being swung upwardly alongside the sawhorse crossrnember, and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a hinge structure used in the present sawhorse.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification, the reference numeral 19 identifies generally a sawhorse embodying the present invention. The sawhorse may be of conventional height and length to fully serve in the mannor of conventional fixed member sawhorses. The following described sawhorse, in continuing similarity to convcntional structures, is capable of supporting all loads commonly imparted to commercially used or household used sawhorses.

A main member at 11 extends crosswise intermediate leg assemblies indicated generally at 1143 Member 11, adjacent each of its ends, is dadoed or otherwise provided with vertically extending inset areas 1l415 disposed in pairs on opposite sides of said member 11. Each inset area is defined by opposed parallel surfaces and an interconnecting surface all planar walls in right angular relationship and extending the height of the member 11 as viewed in FIG. 1.

Main member 11 additionally defines transversely extending dadoes or recesses at 1647 formed on the underside of the member as typically viewed in the bottom view of the main member in FIG. 4. With additional reference to FIG. 4 it will be seen that the transversely extending recesses 1617 are defined along their inner most edges by a reduced thickness of the main member at 18-19. This reduced thickness of the main member is by reason of the vertically extending inset areas 14-15 which terminate along one edge coplanar to the innermost edges of transverse recesses 16-17.

Pivotally carried Within said transverse recesses are hinge means 20-21.. Clips at 24 are inserted into the underside of the main member 1'1 and the reduced thickness thereof at 18-19 to pivotally retain the hinge means 2d-21 in place while permitting their rotation about a single, transversely disposed axis. Said axis is coaxial with the intermediate portion or base of the hinges 2021.

With continuing regard to hinge means 20-21., one of which is typically shown in FIG. 7, the hinge is of U- shape with arm segments at ZtPA-ZilA extending horizontally inward of the sawhorse and receiving retainers 22. The latter may be of the press-on, washer type having radial bifurcations to form inwardly biased gripping elements preventing accidental separation from the hinge arms. Obviously other retainer elements may be substituted.

Limit stop means at 23, in the form of studs welded to the hinges, limit leg movement about said transverse axis of the hinge means 29-21. As seen in FIG. 3A and parent FIG. 3 the leg members of one leg assembly 12 or 13 may be manually positioned through approximately ninety degrees alongside main member 11. When main member 11 is inverted for carrying, as seen in FIG. 3, the limit stop means 23 will prevent downward swinging of the leg assemblies about the transverse axis of the hinge. As the leg assemblies are collapsed into overlying relationship for carrying (FIG. 3) only the lowermost or supporting leg assembly needs to be restricted against downward movement. To permit either leg assembly to serve as the supporting leg assembly (in the collapsed configuration of FIG. 3) a limit stop 23 may be afiixed to both the hinge members 2t121l.

Each leg assembly comprises a pair of inclined legs 2647 terminating upwardly in beveled surfaces 26A- 27A engageable within the inset areas 14-15 with the main member 11. The planar contact therebetween provides a substantial surface area with some upward displacement of a leg being permitted to compensate for uneven floor surfaces. The legs are apertured to receive the arm portions ZQA-ZIA of their respective hinges 20- 21 with the apertures being of a size to permit rotation of the leg about the spaced apart axes of the hinge arms 20A-21A. As seen in FIG. 6 such movement permits closing of the two legs of each leg assembly into a closed position, perpendicular to main member 111. The opposing inner surfaces of each pair of closed legs is coplanar with side surfaces of the main member to permit upward rotation of the pairs of legs to a collapsed position alongside main member 11. Inverting of main member 11 will result in the legs being held in the position shown in FIG.

3 by reason of the limit stop 23 contacting an inset wall surface of member 11. A handle indicated at 29 is located on the underside of member 11. Upon inverting of main member 11 preparatory to carrying same the handle 29 is disposed as shown in FIG. 3 permitting one-hand carrying of the sawhorse with the legs being retained against downward movement by limit stop means 23.

The pairs of legs 2627 may be provided with spreader bars at 3!) for purposes of assuring their maintaining the open position during use of the sawhorse. The spreader bars are swingably attached to one leg by a pivot pin 31 While their opposite ends are notched for downward, locking engagement with oppositely located catches.

During collapsing the bars 30 are swung alongside their supporting leg. For-preventing undesired free swinging movement of the spreader bars 36) during collapsing attachment of the bars to the leg may include a tension washer whereby the spreader bar is biased toward its supporting leg to provide a degree of frictional resistance against swinging movement of the bar.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible sawhorse comprising in combination,

a main load bearing member having pairs of inset areas adjacent each of its ends defined by planar walls, a handgrip affixed to the underside of said member,

leg assemblies disposed adjacent each end of said member supporting same in an operative position, each leg assembly including a pair of upwardly converging legs in surfacial abutment at their upper ends with said planar walls of the main member, each of said legs transversely apertured adjacent its upper end,

said sawhorse being collapsible in an inverted position whereat the handle is disposed for convenient grasping,

hinge means carried by said member comprising U- shaped hinges having parallel arm portions extending through the apertured upper ends of each pair of legs of a leg assembly and mounting the upper ends or" said legs for pivotal movement about spaced apart parallel axes permitting the legs to swing into closed parallel relationship perpendicular to said main member, said hinge means additionally including structure permitting simultaneous collapsing movement of a closed pair of legs about a single axis into an inclined juxtaposed position alongside said main member, the U-shaped hinge of the first collapsed pair of legs including a limit stop swing able about said single axis into engagement with the main member to limit collapsing movement of the first collapsed pair of legs to said inclined juxtaposed position, the legs of the remaining leg assembly being likewise positionable into rested support along the first collapsed pair of legs permitting convenient one-handed carrying of the compact collapsed sawhorse.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,960,991 5/1934 De Young 1 82155 2,089,429 8/1937 Rossow 182155 2,594,464 4/1952 Loucks 182--155 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner 

